The United States’ U.N. ambassador has tweeted criticism of Cuban authorities over reported detentions in advance of Pope Francis’ visit to Havana.
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The arrival of Francis, the third pope to visit Cuba since a groundbreaking trip by Pope John Paul II in 1998, begins a nine-day visit that takes in Cuba and, from Tuesday, the US.
Francis issued the appeal Sunday from Revolution Plaza in Havana, where peace talks underway for more than two years between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and representatives of Bogota aim to end a half-century of fighting.
(Ismael Francisco/Cubadebate Via AP).
“There is a kind of service which truly serves”, the Pope preached during his homily, “yet we need to be careful not to be tempted by another kind of service, a service which is self-serving”.
A group of nuns wait to see Pope Francis pass in the Popemobile after his arrival to Havana, Cuba, on September 19, 2015.
In addition to Raul Castro’s presence at the mass, Argentine President Cristina Fernandez is in Havana as a special guest for the occasion.
In his remarks, Castro also criticized capitalism and once again condemned the “cruel” U.S. embargo imposed on the island since the 60’s.
He described the reestablishment of diplomatic relations as “a first step” in the normalisation of the relationship between the two countries that “will demand resolving problems and correcting injustices”.
Many are waving Cuban and Vatican flags.
Although Francis’ role in those renewed ties isn’t clear, both President Obama and President Castro thanked the pope for his efforts.
Ivysita, 15, said there are not many Catholics at her school and religion is rarely discussed, so the mass was a rare event. “He blessed her”, said the girl’s aunt, Maria Teresa Gonzalez, 64, from a church in Matanzas city.
The two met for about 30 minutes at Castro’s home and exchanged gifts, the Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said.
Pope Francis exhorted Cuba and the United States on Saturday to set an example for the world by deepening the recent rapprochement that he helped secretly broker between the former Cold War foes.
Some believed he was also referring to political opponents of Cuba’s government who are in prison. On his way to the stage, he blessed wheel-chair bound Cubans.
The Vatican has long opposed the US trade embargo on the grounds that it hurts ordinary Cubans most, and is clearly hopeful that detente will eventually lead to a lifting of sanctions. University students also have been recruited.
Pope Francis waved to onlookers while he passed in front of a billboard with and image of Cuba’s former leader Fidel Castro and Cuban independence hero Jose Marti, outside the airport in Havana. “Brother! Now you are a Cuban!”
The sun has risen over Havana’s Revolution Plaza and already thousands of people have filled the square ahead of Pope Francis’ first Mass in Cuba.
Although Francis did not overtly criticise the government on Saturday, he did say he would like his greeting “to embrace especially all those who, for various reasons, I will not be able to meet, and to Cubans throughout the world”.
If the Pope stuck to standard Christian theology, I would be the first in line. Pope Francis is scheduled to address the United Nations and the U.S. Congress.
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TX Body: Most importantly, Francis is expected to make immigration one of the major themes of the visit. He has called for countries to be more welcoming of migrants seeking a better life for themselves and decried in particular the plight of would-be migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border- signaling he has no qualms about wading into a politically charged issue in the US presidential campaign.
